There have only been two
days of training camp practices, but New Orleans Saints first-year defensive
coordinator Rob Ryan has been pleased with the progress his unit is making.

So far there hasn't
appeared to be many mental mistakes and the defenders have typically
swarmed to the football. And Ryan said he already has installed more of his defensive packages than he has ever at this point in training camp.

But the true test for the
defense could begin Sunday when the Saints don pads for the first time after
spending the first two days of camp wearing helmets and shorts.

"I'm so impressed mentally
with how quickly they have picked things up," Ryan said. "Physically, we are
going to learn a lot about that tomorrow and the next few days when we put the
pads on.

"But I really like our
mental approach to everything. We've got outstanding coaching, and these guys
take coaching. They are smart. They adjust well. There are a lot of excellent
veterans on this defense so things come easily to them."

Although the defense seems
to be making strides in learning Ryan's 3-4 scheme after playing primarily in a
4-3 alignment last season under former coordinator Steve Spagnuolo,
Ryan jokingly pointed out there is still a lot of work to be done before the
system is completely implemented and mastered.

Throughout the first two
days of practices, the defense has won its share of battles, forcing turnovers
and deflecting passes.

Saints cornerback Jabari
Greer said it is good that the defense is having some early success in
practices.

"It's great to start out,
getting your hands on some balls, and really flying around and creating an
identity on defense," Greer said. "I think, ultimately, this game we
realize that it's a marathon and it's great to start out, but it's about
sustaining through the course of the day, the game, the season, so once you can
do that you can capitalize and never relax. I think that you can ultimately be
successful."

INJURY UPDATE: For the
second consecutive day of training camp, receiver Marques Colston (foot),
cornerback Patrick Robinson (knee), linebacker Victor Butler (knee) and
receiver Jarred Fayson (dehydration) were held out of drills.

Colston, Robinson and
Butler remain on the team's physically-unable-to-perform list.

Meanwhile, defensive end
Kenyon Coleman returned to workouts after missing Friday's practice with the
flu.

FOLLOWING RYAN: One of the
biggest attributes Coleman was expected to bring to the Saints along with his
run-stuffing ability when he signed this offseason was his familiarity with
Ryan's scheme.

Coleman has spent the last
four seasons (in Cleveland in 2009 and 2010 and in Dallas in 2011 and 2012)
playing for Ryan.

And now that Butler,
another former Dallas Cowboy turned Saints player, has suffered a torn ACL,
Coleman is the only Saints defender with acute knowledge of Ryan's system.

Coleman said it's no secret
Ryan had a lot to do with Coleman being in New Orleans.

"The thing about this game
is you are going to be who you are and I feel like the reason why Rob Ryan and
I have such a great relationship is because he knows what he's going to get out
of me, he knows the sense of consistency," said Coleman, who signed with the
Saints nearly two months after Ryan was hired. "For me, I don't try and
strive and reach, I just (try to) be the person I know that I am. Obviously, Rob
has got accustomed to that and obviously that is why I am here."